Coroner identifies man killed in Thursday shooting/accident

LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- The Clark County coroner's office has identified a 23-year-old Henderson man as the victim in a shooting and car accident near Interstate 215 and Eastern Avenue.

Zachary Wayne Girdner died of multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, a medical examiner said today.

Metro police are searching for 27-year-old Joseph Lucero of Las Vegas in connection with the shooting.

Girdner was apparently shot during an argument and got into his Jeep and drove several miles before a crash at a busy Las Vegas interchange Thursday about 7:30 p.m.

Investigators said that several minutes before the crash they went to an apartment in the 7200 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South after a reported shooting. Officers found neither a crime scene nor a victim.

About 10 minutes later, police said, Nevada Highway Patrol reported a four-vehicle crash at Eastern Avenue and I-215. Troopers arrived to find the man who caused the crash had been shot several times. That man was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where he died.

Investigators said after hearing about the shooting victim at the scene of the crash, they went back to the apartment complex and discovered a crime scene at Lucero's apartment. They said it appears the victim went to Lucero's apartment, where the pair argued, which escalated to a shooting. They said that when the victim was shot, he fled the scene and was then involved in the crash.